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The Maya people are a native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America.
There are an estimated 6 million Maya people living in this area at the start of the 21st century. Some are quite integrated into the modern culture of the nations in which they reside, others continue a more traditional culturally distinct life, often speaking a Maya language.
The largest populations of Maya people are in the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas, in Belize, and GuatemalaFor the city, see Guatemala City. The Republic of Guatemala is a country in Central America, in the south of the continent of North America, bordering both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize to the north, additional populations in the western portions of HondurasHonduras is a nation of northern Central America, bordered to the west by Guatemala and El Salvador, to the south by Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras and the Caribbean Sea. The nation of Belize (formerly "British Ho and El SalvadorEl Salvador ( Spanish for "The Savior") is a republic in Central America with a population of approximately 6. 2 million people. History Main article: History of El Salvador El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central America.
The largest group of modern Maya is in the Yucatán region of Mexico. They commonly identifiy themselves simply as "Maya" with no tribeViewed historically or developmentally, a tribe consists of a social formation existing before the development of, or outside of, states. Many people use the term to refer to any non- Western or indigenous society. Some social scientists use the term to r (unlike in the Highlands of Western Guatemala), and speak the language which anthropologists term "Yucatec Maya", but is identified by speakers and Yucatecos simply as "Maya", although the Spanish languageThis article is about the international language known as Spanish. For other languages spoken in Spain see Languages of Spain Spanish is an Iberian Romance language, and the third or fourth most spoken language in the world. It is spoken as a first langua is commonly spoken as well. Especially in the western areas, even those of mostly or all Maya decent who speak Maya at home often identify themselves as " MestizoMestizo Portuguese Mestico is a term of Spanish origin describing peoples of mixed European and Amerindian racial descent. The feminine form is mestiza . In the Philippines, the term Filipino Mestiso denotes a mixed-race person of ethnic Malay and any oth", showing a degree of asimilation and identification with the Mexican mainstream culture.
Historically, the population in the eastern half of the peninsula was less affected by and less integrated with Hispanic culture than those of the western half.
A large 19th century revolt by the Yucatec Maya, known as the Caste War of YucatánThe Caste War of Yucatan ( 1847- 1901) began with the revolt of native Maya people of Yucatan ( Mexico) against the population of European descent (called Yucatecos) in political and economic control. A lengthy war ensued between the Yucateco forces in th, was one of the most successful modern Native American revolts; results included the temporary existence of the Maya state of Chan Santa CruzChan Santa Cruz is a former name for the town now named Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, as well as the name of an independent Maya Indian state which the town was the capital of for much of the second half of the 19th century., recognized as an independent nation by the British Empire.
The development of the Caribbean Sea tourism resorts in Quintana Roo such as Cancun and the encouragement of many people from other parts of Mexico to move to that region has been seen by some critics as motivated in part by the desire of the Mexican government to lessen the Maya identity of that region and to make it more generically "Mexican".